williams



Dec. 29, 1925- w. c. wlLuA s METAL MELTING METHOD Filed Oct. 13, 1923 Z 0 l l /kmr' 4" Wm Maw/ f and brass,

Patented Dec, 29, 1925.

'WISTER C. WILLIAMS, F DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO MCLAUGHLTN COAL RE- DUCTION COMIPAN Y, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

METAL-MEETING METHOD.

Application filed October 13, 1923.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WIs'rER O. WILLmms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Mclting Methods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is concerned with the op eration of melting metals such as copper for example, in the form of billets or scrap; and the primary object of the inventionis to provide a new and improved method of performing this operation more expeditiously, at less cost for fuel, and with a much smaller loss b oxidation of the metal than has heretolore been possible.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing showing afurnace ol preierred construction suitable for carrying out the metal melting operations contemplated by the invention.

In the drawing Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of the furnace. I

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on line 3-3 of Fig.1, and

Fig. a is a fragmentary view in elevation of a modified form of discharge flue.

Referring'td Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the draw ing, designates a, prel'erably cylindrical, combustion chamber provided with a removable cover plate 11' formed with an opening 12 for discharge of products of combustion. Arranged within the combustion chamber and below the opening 12 is a crucible 13 into which the metal billets or scrap are placed, the crucible being supported above the floor of the furnace on blocks 14- which reston a metal plate 15 covering the clean-out opening 10. Projecting, preferably tangentially into the side wall olthe furnace, through an oblique slot 17 therein is a nozzle or burner 18 designed to introduce into the combustion chamber a mixture, in proper proportions, of pulverized coal and air. The delivery end of the nozzle is flattened at 19 so that the pulverized coal and air enter the fur- Serial No. 668,319.

, a lower section 22 telescopically arranged in the upper section and supported so as to be capable of being raised and lowered to bring its flared mouth 23 close to or away from the outlet opening 12. The movable section 22 is preferably provided at the top with a spider 24 attached to a wire cable 25 for raising and lowering the device. Preferably-the lower section is of somewhat smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the lined section 21 so that the lower section may be temporarily swung to one side of the opening 12 for inspecting the melt, the lower edge of the upper section being preferably flared as indicated at 26 to facilitate this movement.

For large furnaces where the crucible must be handled with a crane I prefer to use a flue as shown in Fig. l. The f xed flue 28 in this construction is ol'lsct with respect to the furnace opening l2 and is provided with a. swiveled section 29 having two bends I50, Ell, whereby a hell mouth 32 is brought over opening l2, part of the weight of the lower section being carried by a chain or cable attached to a rcvolublc ring 3i whereby the lower section may be swung away from the furnace.

()]/L/1I'Ziz /Hl. '.l. l10 crucible is tilled with the metal to be melted and placed in the comluntion chamber on the blocks ll and the fuel in combustion is introduced through lhc burner 18 so that the flames pass circularly or vertically around the crucible aud, the products of combustion issue from i the furnace through opening 12 in the removablc cover plate 1.1 and the take oli' flue 21., The outlet 12 is relatively small so that the out dral't must bend and pass over the top of the crucible which is an open vessel. This construction olitho outlet ba'l" iles thc stream of products of combustion, causing the im-ombustible ash in the coal to be deposited inthe crucible so as to form a to small.

of cool provided it is pulverized,- to the I pro er degree of fineness. In feet a coal 2 the furnace.

protecting layer or stratum 27 on the upper and otherwise exposed surface of the body of metel 27 in the crucible. The result of this is that the oxidation loss has been re- 5 duced to a negligible minimum. Ordinarily the loss of metal by oxidation, in operations of the type contemplated, is quite considerable. The melting operation is carried on very expeditiously and the cost of fuel is t is possible to use a very low grade wit 9. considerable ash content is desirable for the reason above noted. The draft may to be re eluted by raising and lowerin the more is lower section 22 of the take-oft flue. If desired, the lower section of the due may be swung to one side of opening 19,, Without raising the device, for inspection of the melt.

When the melting operation is completed 30 extent, at least by using coal pulverized to the fineness common to a number of fuels of this type new used, for example, when pulverized so that it will pass through a screen having two hundred-meshes to the linear inch, the use of fuel-es relatively coarse as this in the furnaceas described presents difficulty particularly in the matter of slugging and obtaining complete combustion offthe cool as to make these fuels practically useless for this operation. At least very much more satisfactory results are obtained by using 'a fuel, a considerable portion of which .is much more finely pulverized than this. fPreierably I use a fuel $070 of which, by

weight, will pass through a screen having two hundred meshes to the linear inch, While 25% of it, approximately, will pass through. the screen having eight hundred meshes to the. square inch. The luel is introduced into the furnace, asis possible on account of its fineness, on an air current of extremely low pressure, for example, a pressure of not more than one-half mines. The extremely fine .fuel burns at the end of the nozzle, the

finest particles of slag being apparently vaporized and passing out through the furnace in that form. The progressively larger particles of fuel, the fuel particles being, of course, graduated in size, are consumed as 50 the flame moves away from the nozzle, com-- bustion being complete within a short distance of the nozzle. The result is that the combustion is complete and there is very little slugging or deposit of ash within the furnace. The deposit of incombustibles issuers.

takes placeas described, on the motel in the crucible us the demo is befied in passing out of opening 12.

ties of a very serious character a fuel must be used of the size described-end must be introduced in the furnace as above set forth.

I claim: 1. Method of melting metal which consists in subjecting the metal in an open container to the heat of a pulverized fuel flame directed so that the incombustibles in the flame me precipitated and deposited upon sists in subjecting the metal in on open contrainer to the heat of e ulverized fuel flame directed so that it passes around the container circularly and over the top oitliltssme depositing the incombustibles of tits flame upon the metal.

' 3. Method of melting metal which consists in subjecting the metal in on own container arranged in a confined space to the heatof a pulverized fuel flame directed circularly around said. container and issuing out of the space above the container and bed at its outlet so that it deposits incombustibias on the metal in the container.

4. Method of melting metal which consis' in subjecting the metal in an open container to the heat from a vertical pulverized fuel flame which surrounds the container and in rising above the same is constricted so as to bring about deposit of incombustibles upon then metal. i

5. Method of melting metal. which consists in subjecting the metal in e container to the heat of a dame directed to pass around the container circularly and produced by the combustion of a solid fuel pulverized so that a portion of it at lei-1st is tine enough to burn at the end oil the fuel IIOZZIHHHXGd with air at a low pressure just suficient to carry the fuel into the comm Without producing any appreciable blast.

. 6. Method of melting metal which con to the heat of a. flame produced by the combustion of a solid fuel pulverized so that substantially one-fourth of it, by Weight, is fine enough to pass a screen having 800 7 Method of meltin metal which 125. in subjecting the motel in an open. contains?" square inch.

meshes tn the imam inch anti mixed with of the same and roduoed by the combustion air at less than onwhmlf ounce preasum per ofavsolid fuel pu verized so that substantial- 1y one-fourth of it, by weight, is fine encmtih .10 8. Mehod of meltin metal which consists to pass a screen having 800 meshes to a in subjecting the mem in an open container linear inch and mixed with air at a pressure $0 the heat of a flame directed to pass around of less than one-half ounce er uare inch. the contaimr circularly and ever the top WISTER O. 

